emily osment reviews lord of the flies

When a group of preteen British schoolboys get stranded on a desert island, only two things can happen — they can run like wild savages without parental supervision, or they can learn to adapt to their misfortune and survive by creating their own society. The choice the boys make could cost them their lives.

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Only in Lord of the Flies can one find such a story as this. William Golding created a book that had me awestruck right to the tragic end. In Lord of the Flies, Ralph, Piggy, Jack, and Simon are the only ones wise enough to handle some of the terrors thrown at them throughout their adventure. The boys battle each other about decisions such as who should lead and who should follow, who should hunt and who should make fire. It had me wondering what I would do in such a situation.

Golding best described the theme of his novel as "an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature." The boys have to deal with losing their innocence and struggling to stay sophisticated, all the while missing their home life. Golding took a simple adventure story and turned it into a novel about the destruction of our society shown through the eyes of children.

Each time I read this book I find more symbolism and hidden themes. Reading Lord of the Flies is like uncovering buried treasure. The more you search, the more you discover. I had fun reading this brilliant piece of work. Golding's story makes me wonder, What choices would I be willing to make to stay alive?